Unternavigationspunkte

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In February the positive development on the labour market continued. Roughly 42.5 million persons resident in Germany were in employment in February 2015, according to provisional calculations of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Compared with February 2014, this was an increase of 386,000 persons or 0.9%. The year-on-year increase in employment in the months of October 2014 to January 2015 was slightly larger (+1.0% each). In February 2015, roughly 2.2 million people were unemployed, 60,000 fewer than a year earlier.

According to provisional results of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), retail turnover in February 2014 in Germany increased 3.6% in real terms and 2.8% in nominal terms compared with the corresponding month of the previous year. The number of days open for sale was 24 in February 2015 and 24 in February 2014, too.

IN FOCUS / 2015-03-23

Tax declaration: average refund of 873 euros

Taxpayers liable to submit a tax declaration to the local tax office for the previous year have to do so by 31 May. In 2010, there were roughly 13.1 million taxpayers subject to unlimited tax liability in Germany who had income from dependent employment and possibly from capital.

11.4 million of these taxpayers received a refund in the context of income tax assessment. The average refund was 873 euros. The amount refunded was most often between 100 and 1,000 euros (62%). For roughly 10% of those concerned, the refund was less than 100 euros. In 1% of the cases, the local tax offices refunded amounts of over 5,000 euros.

1,4 million taxpayers had to make additional payments to the local tax office, the average amount being 897 euros. Just like the tax refunds, the additional payments of taxes were most often between 100 and 1,000 euros (62%). 20% of the taxpayers had to pay small amounts of less than 100 euros. Only 2% of the taxpayers were affected by large amounts of over 5,000 euros.